Striped Marsh Frog Limnodynastes peronii

Frogs of Victoria series

Identification

The Striped Marsh Frog, Limnodynastes peronii, is a fairly large species, growing up to 75 mm in length, with prominent alternate light and dark stripes and a narrow, pale mid-vertebral stripe on a light brown or grey-brown background.

hi,
this states up to 75mm so how small could they be? the frog that I had in my living room was around 30mm. would this make it a different striped frog or a recent graduate from tadpole to frog? also Tim hasn't got an answer posted, are they poisonous to large dogs? Lignite barked at it but backed off any time it moved (she also did this for the blue tongue lizard we encountered) but would like to know.
thanks
Julie

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Discovery Centre
23 February, 2011 13:40

Hi Julie; while it is possible that the frog you saw was a very young adult Striped Marsh Frog, it could equally be another species, you can try identifying it via the Bioinformatics website on frogs at http://museumvictoria.com.au/bioinformatics/frog/ . In terms of toxicty, our resources show the Striped Marsh frog has no known toxins, however you might be better placed checking with a specialist veterinarian to clarify on any problems these animals pose to dogs.

I am growing some Limnodynastes peronii, this frog is not toxic, and to maDIE, The Striped Marsh frog will make a knocking sound. A good site to go to is, http://frogsaustralia.net.au/frogs/display.cfm?frog_id=40

Hi Ben, there are two types of Marsh Frog - the Striped Marsh Frog (Limnodynastes peroni) and the Spotted Marsh Frog (Limnodynastes tasmaniensis). They look very similar and have similar distributions and life styles, and both occur in Sydney, but your frogs are most likely to be the latter.

Marsh Frogs can be common in suburban areas and many gardeners build frog bogs to encourage them. Having frogs in your backyard can be a sign of a healthy environment, particularly if they've moved in of their own accord. You can't be fined for having them there, so just sit back and enjoy them.

Hi Linda, if the Striped Marsh Frog (Limnodynastes peroni) is wild-caught it should be taken to the vet to attend to its injury, or released back where you found it. Frogs are relatively effective at repairing small injuries and the chances are good it will recover on its own. It is illegal to take frogs from the wild, even from your own property, but they can be kept in captivity under licence and if obtained from a licenced dealer. Good on you for trying to do the best for this frog.

maria
16 November, 2013 23:39

I just found the spawn from the stiped marsh frog in one of our ponds (I live in Sydney). I can see some of the babies wriggling in the sac, however some of the eggs are white instead of like the others which are black. Are these infertile eggs? Unfortunately they laid in a pond of goldfish, I have moved the eggs into a baby fish net so they still have the same water and are protected from the goldfish. What is their survival rate if i move them to another pond with different water quality and temperature (I have native fish that are supposed to be frog friendly in this proposed pond (silly frog chose the wrong pond)). I also have an aquarium inside with stagnet water which has water plants growing happily in it, but I haven't touched it for over a year. Do you think the tadpoles will survive in this until they are a bit bigger? Thanks

Hi, I have at least 3 male striped Marsh frogs in my yard. I have just read your posts and see that they eat snails. I have been going out at night and spraying the snails and slugs with a solution of 1 part ammonia to 3 parts water. It kills them. Will the dead snails and slugs harm the frogs? So far they are thriving, but I am concerned I have robbed them of their food source.

Hi Marlena, ammonia in general is not good for frogs. If it builds up in a pond containing adults or tadpoles, it can quickly kill them. We can't find any information regarding the effects on frogs of snails killed by ammonia, but suggest it's safer not to take the risk. In theory, the ammonia may break down before the frog eats the snail, and in theory the frog should reject any snails containing ammonia, but given how toxic it can be it may have severe effects. A safer alternative is to collect the snails and put them in the freezer overnight.

Juanita
28 September, 2014 11:48

hello, so i have just found what i suppose is a striped marsh frog in my backyard, but the problem is that i found it in a place rain water and leaves are collected and there is lots of water for it to swim in but it cant seem to get out. what should i do? help!!!
i'm assuming its been there for a while now because thick slim is starting to build up around its body, but every time is swims it seems to fall of. Is this natural or is the frog just plain sick? Also just out of curiosity would i be able to keep the frog if i wanted to???? thanks :)

The slime may have been produced by the trapped leaves soaking in rainwater rather than being produced by the frog itself. The best option is to let the frog out by placing a stick for it to climb, or by lifting it out by hand. Although Striped Marsh Frogs (Limnodynastes peroni) can be kept as pets, they must be obtained from a licenced breeder and not collected from your garden.

Greg
29 October, 2014 07:47

Hello, we've raised a single froglet from a tadpole that we've become quite attached to. We took the eggs from our fishpond to prevent them being eaten by the goldfish but now we have a froglet we're not sure how big it should be before we release him. I'd heard that goldfish might nibble off his little legs! Could you give any advice on how big they froglets should be? At the moment he has little legs and a tiny tail (about 3-4mm) there's plenty of plants and rocks in the fishpond and one of his parents has been living there happily for at least a year.
Thank you!

Whilst goldfish may eat frog eggs and tadpoles, they are unlikely to consume a metamorph frog (froglet). Your pond was obviously a good habitat for the frog's parents, and with plenty of plants around the edges the froglet should be able to avoid the water-bound fish if you release it now.

Rosalie
19 November, 2014 23:08

Hi, I've got a striped marsh frog living in my garden in Sydney and I've just happily discovered a whole stack of tadpoles in the pond, however, the pond is also swarming with mosquito lavae. I was planning to clean the pond out until I saw the tadpoles. Will it harm the tadpoles if I do my best to scoop out the wrigglers? The tadpoles are there of their own accord so I figure they must like the conditions at the moment - is there anything you recommend I do to keep them alive?

Hi Rosalie, tadpoles are generally herbivorous or feed on pond detritus, but some of the larger species or individuals will feed on mosquito wrigglers. Removing the wrigglers by hand or a small net would not harm the tadpoles, which are likely to move to the bottom of the pond during the process. You could also add native fish species to the pond, as many species will eat mosquito wrigglers but leave the tadpoles alone. The Crimson-Spotted Rainbow Fish (Melanotaenia splendida) is one example from northern Victoria. Mosquitoes don't like disturbed water surfaces, so any disruption using sprinklers, bubblers or similar could reduce the number of mosquitoes.

Fionulla
21 January, 2015 22:44

(from Bris): Striped marsh frog (I assume, from the distinct loud TOCK noise), living in the drain within the hedge, in front of my bedroom. Has been actively TOCKING for a full year. Driving me literally insane. Starts at dusk and goes til dawn, incessantly, with no breaks. I can't cope with it any longer. How on earth do I move it on? It is a drain where I can't lift the grate. I can't stand it anymore. I would liken it to a dripping tap keeping someone awake all night. Earplugs are no longer an option. I have worn them nightly for so long that I have inflammation in my ears now. How can I move this damn frog on? Do they EVER stop TOCKING?

Hello,
Just wanted to know if striped marsh frog tadpoles will go cannibalistic? Was cleaning the backyard and came across some eggs. My dog ate the adult frog so I decided to take in the eggs and raise them in a tank till I build an appropriate enclosure out the back.(yes I have appropriate licensing to keep). I researched how to move the eggs and it said most will not survive but in my case that was wrong. I have at least 200 tadpoles in the tank and they are growing rapidly. So wanted to know if I should leave them all together and let nature take its course (strong eating the weak) or if I should seperate them? Also what would one do with unwanted tadpoles? Release? Use as exotic feed for a turtle or water dragon? Any ideas would be great. Lastly I read on a thread that tadpoles will not eat fish food. False. Mine love it but I also fees them cabbage and lettuce.
Eagerly awaiting a response. Thanks.

Tadpoles naturally feed on algae and in captivity will feed on boiled lettuce and cabbage, as well as some components of commercial fish food and the algae growing on the sides of the tank. So as you've probably already discovered they are not cannibalistic. Tadpoles of this species (Limnodynastes peronii) will happily live in large groups within a single tank, and 200 should be fine when they are still young. As the tadpoles increase in size, however, you may find it increasingly difficult to keep the water clean with the higher biological load, and they may simply run out of room. Returning captive frogs to the wild can be dangerous as it runs the risk of spreading chytrid fungus, and keeping native animals should always be done on the proviso that you have a plan for any offspring (or do what you can to prevent offspring being generated). Also, the licences cover the keeping of the species but not collection from the wild, even from your own garden. In all cases, the frogs need to be obtained from licenced sellers.